Western CostumesWestern Halloween Costumes

Howdy partner, take a ride back in time to the Wild, Wild West. The American west was a playground for all sorts, from pioneers and cowboys to lawmen, outlaws, gangs and gunslingers.

In the good old days the cowboy was the glue that held the West together. Ranchers would hire cowboys to keep an eye over the herds on the open range. During the cattle drives the cowboys would spend up to four straight months in the saddle and work 20 hour days.

Around 1890, the cattle ranges became fenced in and the railroads had eliminated the need for long cattle drives ending the era of the old West cowboy. But attend any rodeo and you will surely see a mix of the old fashioned cowboy and today’s working ranch cowboy showcasing their true skills of bull riding, lasso, roping and tying steers. The most recognizable trait of a cowboy is the hat. A good cowboy hat that cost $15 a hundred years ago would now cost $400.

It wouldn’t be the Old West without Indians. On the Great Plains the Native American tribes were nomadic, moving around in huge clans across the plains, following the herds of buffalo. The men hunted and the women prepared the skins for tepees and clothing. They believed that the sun, wind, moon and water all had powerful influences and that animals, like humans had spirits.